Gangsta's Paradise

Karen Briggs

Karen Briggs, (born 1963) is an American violinist. She was born in New York City and grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia. Taking violin lessons from an early age, Briggs attended Norfolk State University after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1981. There, she majored in music education and mass media. By 1983, she was playing with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, where she remained for the next four years. In 1987, she returned to New York City, where she won amateur night at the famous Apollo Theater four times. After marrying in 1988 and moving to Los Angeles, Briggs embarked on her first professional tour with Soul II Soul and toured throughout America and Japan. more »